Where did you go?
by Agent Poptart
Summary: Hazel's family splits up. Her mom stays in Appaloosa Plains while Hazel moves with her father to Bridgeport. It's been eight years since her parents separated. Now they're getting a divorce and she's worried she'll have to go to Appaloosa Plains. A month before she leaves her friend tells her some news. How can she leave when her friend needs her? But how can she fight a divorce?
1. Chapter 1

"Adam! Wait for me Adam!" My friend calls.

I stop and turn around. Hazel is jogging towards me. She's faster than me and she knows it. But we're just enjoying this day. We finally reach the snow covered playground. She's wearing jeans and her snow jacket. She's also wearing Ugg boots to keep her feet warm. She smiles at me and I grin back.

"This day is perfect! But Adam, I have something to tell you. So you know how my dad is with the military and he's almost never home?" She says.

"Yeah. What's wrong Hazel?"

"My mom has been cheating on my dad! So my mom's job doesn't support us so we took in a boarder. He lives with us and helps pay the bills and everything. Last night I saw him coming out of my parents' room. And he was in his underwear. But I can't tell my dad in my letters about it because I'm only eight. Who would believe me?" She confides.

"I would! But are you sure? This isn't good stuff. And isn't your dad coming home tonight?"

"Yeah. Really late at night. Like after my bedtime. Adam, what happens if he finds out? Will my parents divorce and I have to choose which one to live with? Amy is so much better at figuring this stuff out! Why did she have to go to college?"

"It'll be okay Hazel. I'm sure it was a one-time thing. I'm sure your mom is so guilty that she told your boarder that it could never happen again. Right now, we need to worry about staying warm!" I reply.

She laughs and nods. We jump through the snow and clean out our play house. No one knows about it and it's hidden pretty far in the woods. We have a bed in it and a sleeping bag in case we ever run away or something. And sometimes we keep it stocked with hot cocoa mix and chips. Hazel reaches into an old cupboard and takes out two packet of hot cocoa. She reaches into her bag and takes out a thermos of hot water and two mugs. Then she pours the packets into the mugs and we drink the warm cocoa. She glances at the watch in her pocket and gets up.

"It's getting late. You can keep the mug. Just return it tomorrow or something. See you tomorrow Adam!" She says.

Then she grabs her backpack and trudges to her house. In the morning when I cross the street to her house I see a moving van and a bunch of boxes in front of her small house. I run over to her and see she's been crying.

"It wasn't a one-time thing. I confronted them about it and he hit me. Then I went to bed and woke up to yelling. Dad had come home. He found out. Adam, we moving! We're going to Bridgeport. Dad has got a permanent job there. We're leaving now. Just Dad, Simba, and me. Adam, I'll never see you again!" She wails.

I hug her and fight back my own tears. She's my best friend in the whole world. How will I live without Hazel? Then her dad comes out with her mom following.

"Please! John! Don't leave me! Don't take my daughter!" She's begging.

"Shelly, you should have thought about all of this when you… slept with him! You'll regret all of this when he cheats on you!" He replies.

"I regret it now! John, I love you! It was a mistake!"

"A mistake you made on countless occasions. And how could you let him hit our daughter after she found out about him?"

"I wanted to stop him but… John, don't leave me!"

"Goodbye Shelly."

Then he gently takes Hazel's hand. He ruffles my hair and smiles at me.

"Hey Adam. I haven't seen you in a long time. Hazel, it's time to go." He says.

"Okay Daddy. Adam, I'll write letters to you! I promise. I'll miss you." Hazel replies.

She hugs me one last time and climbs into the van after her father. I look at Shelly, Hazel's mom, and see her crumpled on the ground sobbing. My mom hurries over and takes her in her arms.

"It's going to be okay Shelly. Be thankful he isn't asking for a divorce. I suggest if you ever want him to come back is leave the boarder. You can move in with Adam and me. You can show him it was a huge mistake that you'll never make again." My mom soothes.

"Thanks Maria. I think I will. I'll help pay the bills and everything! Oh thank you!"

Then she stands up and walks over to the boarder. She slaps him hard across his cheek.

"That's for hitting my daughter. I'll be moving out. I suggest you either find somewhere else to live or stay out of my sight." She snaps.

Then she walks back to us and follows us into our house. I'll really miss Hazel. I hope she keeps her promise to write letters to me.


	2. Chapter 2

One afternoon I go outside and check the mail. Again. Still no letters from Hazel. Has she forgotten about me? Mom walks up to me and squeezes me.

"You really miss her huh? She was a great friend. But sweetie, we just can't afford you visiting Bridgeport. It's really far away and everything there is expensive. Besides, there are a lot of vampires there! I'm sorry Adam. I think it's time for you to hang out with Josh and Chris. I get that Hazel was your friend since day care but your guy friends are really worried about you. They both called. Go hang out with them. I need to get to the hospital. Love you!" She says.

"Love you too." I call.

Then she gets in our car and drives away. Shelly takes my hand and drags me into the kitchen. My favorite time of the day is when Mom leaves for work and Shelly lets me taste her cooking. She works for a fancy restaurant and her boss is always telling her to try new recipes.

"Okay honey. Tell me what you think of this." She says.

I bit into the hot dog and almost throw up. She bursts out laughs and rubs my back.

"Sorry honey! That was a tofu dog! I wanted to try and see what you thought of it!"

"Ugh. How do vegetarians eat this stuff?" I ask.

**Hazel POV**

I climb onto the school bus and wait for Jules, the mean girl that lives in the apartment building next to mine, as she slowly walks to the bus. She climbs on and sits in the very back. We hate each other. She's been trying to befriend Jupiter and Belissa for years and I come in and they're my best friends immediately. And I also go to the private school with my friends. So she's jealous of me. We stop when we get in the middle of town by the big fountain and I leap off. I hurry into my building and quickly check the mail. Bills. I don't know why I expect letters from Adam when I haven't written him any. I just don't see the point in writing him when I'll never see him again. I press the _Up_ button on the elevator and wait impatiently for the dumb thing to _ding! _I step in and press the 11. We have thirteen floors and Dad really wants to get the apartment on the top. It has two levels and a hot tub. In our apartment you're not allowed to add your own hot tub. We just have to deal with it. The doors close and I listen to the new single by Amelia. I don't really like her but Jupiter is obsessed. He once dragged Belissa and me to her concert and he yelled the lyrics from the box we occupied. Then the doors open again and I step out onto the eleventh floor. I unlock the door that has 4 on it and walk into the kitchen. Simba, my Egyptian Mau, runs up and rubs against my legs. I giggle and bend down to pick him up. I stroke his back and place him on the counter by the refrigerator. Then Paul, our butler and my friend, walks out of his small room. He smiles at me and cleans up a puddle. Simba had a little accident I guess.

"How was school Hazel?" Paul asks.

"It was okay. Here are the bills. No letters from Adam. But it's been three years. I can't expect him to write to me." I say.

I sigh and start on my homework. One of my traits is genius so I finish it easily. Afterwards my phone starts ringing. When we moved to Bridgeport Dad bought me a cell phone because I could easily get lost here.

"Hello?" I say.

"Hey! It's Jupiter and Belissa! We're at my house!" Jupiter yells.

"What's up?" I ask.

"It's Friday and we were wondering if you wanted to come over! Can you?" Belissa says.

"I can't. Dad is coming home at six and we'll eat together. Hold on a second, Paul is trying to tell me something."

"Hazel, your father has gone out of town. He'll be back on Monday. Sorry." Paul says.

"Scratch that! I'm so coming over! Order some pizza for me!" I say.

"Yay!" They yell in unison.

I hang up and grab my snow jacket. I face Paul and give him a sympathetic look.

"You'll be all alone tonight. Call Jeremy over if you want. I'll catch a ride to ballet from Jupiter's nanny. Belissa is also staying. Goodbye! Oh and if you stay at Jeremy's, leave Simba with the lady next door." I say.

"Okay! Be safe! It's almost eleven degrees outside and it's snowing." Paul replies.

I nod and hug him and Simba. Then I grab my overnight bag and pull on my mittens and hat. I run into the elevator and ride the subway to the bridge. Then I run across the bridge and to Jupiter's electric gate. I press the button and quickly take off my mitten. I push my finger to the scanner and put my warm mitten back on. The gate opens and I run inside the house. My two friends are waiting for me there.

"You made it! Oh man, you look cold! And your cheeks are so rosy! We have some hot cocoa and the best pizza in town. I'm so glad you could come! Us three musketeers!" Jupiter greets.

"Hey, wasn't your mom in that movie?" I ask.

We laugh and I take off my boots by the door. I hang my snow jacket up and keep my hoodie on. We walk up to Jupiter's room where a whole pot of hot cocoa and three boxes of pizza await us. We pop in a move, dim the lights, and gather bundled up on the floor with our treats. I take a sip of the warm drink and almost melt. It warms me up immediately. Then my phone starts ringing. We pause the movie and I set my phone on speaker.

"Hey! This is Hazel, Jupiter, and Belissa!" I greet.

"Hey sweetie! Sorry about being out of town! I swear this is the only time! Love you!" My dad says.

"Love you too! Be careful!" I say.

We all settle in and watch the movie again. When the movie ends we just decide to finish the pizza and go to sleep.

"I can't eat any more pizza! But I so want to eat it!" I yell.

My two friends nod and we just can't fight our urge anymore. We finish the last of the pizza and feel as if we'll explode. Then we all crawl into Jupiter's huge king size bed and fall asleep. Then Jupiter's nanny is waking us up for breakfast. We race downstairs and dig into our waffles. I gulp down the orange juice.

"Okay. You girls have ballet and Jupiter has drama. Get dressed and meet me down here in an hour." Juliet, Jupiter's nanny, says.

We nod at the older woman and run upstairs to shower. I dry myself off and take out my ballet clothes. I pull on my tights and leotard. Then I slip my feet into my ballet shoes. I walk out of the bathroom and walk downstairs.

"Juliet, will you put my hair up in a bun?" I ask.

"Of course sweetie. I assume Belissa will want help too." Juliet replies.

She gently brushes my hair and pins the strands into a neat bun. Then I sit on the couch and wait for my friends to come down. Jupiter is dressed in some futuristic getup and Belissa is dressed exactly like me. Her pale skin almost glows in the light of the rising sun. When I realize that the snow is still out there I stick my ballet shoes into my ballet bag and pull on my boots. Belissa doesn't bother because she can't feel the cold. Jupiter, Juliet, and I hurry to get into our heavy snow jackets and we walk to the car. We drive to the public school where our classes are held. I walk into the studio with Belissa and quickly change my shoes. I see Jules sitting in a music class looking bored. Her parents wouldn't let her take ballet. I step up to the barre with all the other girls and place one hand on it. This is our warm up. When the class ends I pull on my boots again and walk into the hall of the public school. I see Juliet and Jupiter waiting in the car. Belissa is looking wistfully at a vending machine with plasma fruit in it.

"Go ahead. You can run back right?" I say.

She nods gratefully and I climb into the warm car. I tell Juliet what Belissa is doing and we start driving to the Belle household. I see a flash and know Belissa is already on her way too. We pull into the garage and see Belissa waiting for us in the kitchen. She's drinking a box of plasma juice.

"The plasma fruit wasn't enough. Hope you don't mind that I took some." She explains.

"Not at all. They are there for you and Ms. Belle's personal trainer. He's here much more often than he should be. At the moment they are vacationing in Hidden Springs. Why Ms. Belle can't just hire one of the trainers at the resort, I'll never know." Juliet replies.

We all quickly change into pleasure clothes and turn on the TV. Belissa and Jupiter fight over which channel to put it on.

"Romance!" Belissa cries.

"Kids!" Jupiter protests.

"Oh put it on sports. Soccer is on and I want to watch it." I say.

They grumble a little bit but turn on soccer. I jump up and yell at the TV.

"No! That's totally off sides!" I scream.

I'm pretty mad when our team got beaten by Riverview. I change into pajamas and climb into Jupiter's bed with my friends. In the morning I get dressed in warm clothes and say goodbye to Jupiter. Mrs. Hemlock, Belissa's mother, is giving me a ride to my apartment. I ride the elevator up to my apartment and see Jeremy sitting on the couch watching TV. He grins at me and hugs me tightly. He's like a brother to me.

"Hey Jeremy. How's it going?" I say.

"Good. How are you darling? You look exhausted!"

"I'm fine. So glad to be home. Where is Paul?"

Jeremy's grin wipes straight off his face. Tears start falling down his cheeks. I pat his back comfortingly.

"He left me! For that one girl from the reality TV show! And he quit. I'm sorry. But now I don't have a place to stay." He cries.

"Don't worry. You can live here Jeremy. You're already like my brother anyway. Amy is coming over today! You've never met my sister before."

Jeremy chuckles and gets up. He takes out some leftover pancakes Paul made and we eat them together. Then our callbox buzzes. I walk over.

"Hello? How is it?" I ask.

"It's Amy your amazing sister!"

I laugh and press the button to let her in. I open the door and fling my arms around my older sister.

"Amy! You're here! Wait. How was college? I need to be mature."

"Hey silly girl. College was boring. I'm ready for city life! Girlie, who is the cute boy in your apartment?"

"Jeremy. He's like my brother." I reply.

"Well maybe, hopefully, he'll be your brother-in-law." She teases.

I close the door after her as she sits down next to Jeremy. He looks over at her and his eyes widen. It's like looking at an older version of me.

"Hi there! I'm Amy, Hazel's older sister. Maybe you could show me around the city?" Amy says.

"Of course! I'd love to! I'm Jeremy!" He replies.

I roll my eyes and walk into my small room. There is probably no space in my room that is unused. I have my platform bed with the canopy against the wall. My dresser is against the other wall by the door. I have my desk with my stereo and computer with my retro chair. I have a small reading nook in the corner. I also have my ballet barre by the window overlooking the fountain in the middle of the city. I walk over and sit in a beanbag chair in my nook. I take a book from the bookcase and open it up. A picture falls out from between the pages. It's a picture of Dad, Mom, Amy, Simba, and me. It's been nearly three years since we moved here. And I don't think Dad has contacted Mom since. I don't even know what happened after we left. I'll probably never know.


	3. Chapter 3

_RIIIIIINNNNGGG!_ My alarm clock goes off and I groan. The start of a new day. A school day to be exact. I hit the off button and get up. I hurry into the bathroom; glad Jeremy and Amy haven't woken up yet, and quickly take a shower. I change into a white tunic, black leggings, and white converse. I put a white headband in my black hair and walk out of the bathroom. Amy and Jeremy are just waking up. I pretend to vomit as they peck each other's lips.

"One day Hazel you'll understand love." Amy says dreamily.

"Gosh I hope not. Besides, no one will love me when I tell them I'm moving back to Appaloosa Plains. Now, I've got to get to school." I reply wrinkling my nose.

I grab a piece of toast and hurry to the elevator. A ping of grief hits me as I look at the apartment with a 3 on it. That's where the old lady lived. She died a month ago. We were friends. Then the elevator doors close and I'm stepping into the lobby. I take a bit of the toast as I wait for the school bus. It pulls up and I hop in. Jules, the girl that used to be mean to me but now is my cheerleader friend, slides into the seat next to me.

"Are you ready for the game today? I'm totally psyched! And Jake will be there. He's a great boyfriend. Tomorrow he's driving us to school! And next month is the Winter Ball!" She gushes.

"Jules, I won't be here next month. I'm moving back to Appaloosa Plains." I say gloomily.

"What? Why are you moving back there? You left there like eight years ago! There's nothing to go back there for!"

"Yes there is. My parents, after eight years being separated, are finally getting an official divorce. And my mom is probably going to get custody of me. Since I'm sixteen, I am not a legal adult." I explain.

"You've lived with your dad for eight years! And look at you! You're perfect! There is no way she'll get custody of you if you fight for living with your dad." Jules insists.

"But he hasn't raised me. I've been living with Jeremy and Amy for most of the time. He's always gone. And they know that. I'll miss you!"

We hug tearfully and get off of the bus. We walk to Science and sit on our stools next to each other. She takes out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Pros and cons of moving to Appaloosa Plains. Go." She whispers.

**Pros:**

** Wear what a want.**

** Fresh start.**

** Not as noisy.**

** Cons:**

** No fashion advice from Jules.**

** Making new friends.**

** Too quiet.**

** No Jules.**

"There, I made the list. It's short but that's all I could think of. Oh Jules, I'm so going to miss it here!"

"Ladies, are we interrupting something?" The teacher asks.

Belissa and Jupiter, my former friends, snicker from the front of the class. I shake my head calmly.

"No sir. We were just talking about how we're excited to dissect a frog in class today." I say.

"Good! Glad you girls have an interest in biology!"

The teacher comes around and places frogs on our table. I scoot closer to Jules and poke the dead frog.

"Ew! I cannot believe you just did that!" Jules cries.

"Oh relax. It isn't going to jump into your mouth or anything. Let's cut this thing up already!" I reply.

She laughs and we start dissecting the frog. When Biology is over we walk out and go to our lockers. I open it and put my books back in.

"I'm going to miss you! I still can't believe your mom might get custody of you. That's so unfair. Why can't you stay with Amy and Jeremy? They're adults and you've been living with them anyway."

"Actually they've been living with me. When they got married they decided to keep an eye on me. Damn Dad and his military travels. Those two make me sick." I say.

"Whatever. Stay with them. You have a whole life here! Why would you want to go back to Appaloosa Plains? It's been eight years since you left. There is nothing there for you. Except your former best friend. Hey, I wonder what happened to him."

"Adam? I have no idea. I just wish I could go to the Winter Ball. This is the first year we're allowed to go!" I sigh.

Jules pats my back and we walk to our next class. At lunch we sit with her boyfriend and his best friend. I'm kind of hoping he'll ask me to the Winter Ball. Maybe I can convince my parents to let me stay long enough to go.

"_Attention students! Today is the day to buy tickets to the Winter Ball! Grab your special someone and ask them out! Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!_" A lady says on the loudspeaker.

"Jules, do you want to go with me?" Davis, her boyfriend, asks.

"Of course you dummy!"

Davis smiles and gets up to go buy the stupid tickets. I sigh and look out the window. If Adam were here he would probably make fun of the Ball and say he wouldn't go. But I don't know anything about him now. He's probably changed. He probably has a cute girlfriend. I look up and see Jake is gone.

"Where did Jake go?" I ask.

"Bathroom I think. Eat, you're too skinny! I get that we're cheerleaders and we need to stay thin but dude! You're way too skinny!"

"I quit. It's just not me. I'd rather do soccer. I'm trying out today. I just hope I'll stay here long enough for me to get on the team."

"Oh Hazel! Of course you'll get on it! And you have to fight to stay here!" Jules assures me.

I shrug and eat my spaghetti. Jake comes back and slips something into his pocket. Then he dumps his tray and walks back out again. I see a cute girl follow him. Of course. I can't get a date to probably the last dance here in Bridgeport. After school I get on the bus and sit next to Jules. All she can talk about is the Ball. When we stop I say goodbye and ride the elevator to my apartment. I look at myself in my full length mirror. I'm disgusted by what I see. I'm too preppy. My room looks like something from a preppy high school romance movie. I dump all of my pink clothes out of my dresser.

"Amy! I need your help with something!" I yell out the door.

My sister pokes her head in and looks at me.

"What is it Hazel?" She asks worriedly.

"I need you to come shopping with me. I need to wash this stupid blonde hair dye out of my hair! I need my own clothes and furniture. I need to be myself for once!" I say.

"You go girl! Let's go shopping! Jeremy, we'll be back in a few hours. My little sister needs some help immediately."

We hurry to a mall in the nearby city of Riverview. I go to a salon and demand that the hair dye be washed out. When I look in the mirror my black hair is showing again. I comb my bangs so they're covering one eye. Perfect. We pay and thank the salon girl and hurry to a clothing store.

"Hey Amy, what do you think of all of these clothes and shoes?" I ask once we're done.

"They're so you. Now let's go shop for furniture. We're discovering the real Hazel Fernandez."

I laugh and we take a taxi to the furniture store. Once we're done we take the bus back to Bridgeport and once we're done re-doing my room we eat dinner. I'm a totally different person. But I feel great. And I realize I never wanted Jake to ask me out. I just wanted someone to ask me to the Winter Ball. It didn't have to be that stupid football player.

"Guys, I'm going to go to sleep now. See you in the morning." I say with a yawn.

They nod and I hug them both. Then I change into my black nightdress and crawl into my new bed. I'm liking the new me.


	4. Chapter 4

When my alarm goes off in the morning I drag myself out of bed and quickly take a shower. I walk out of the bathroom in a towel and go through my new dresser for clothes. I settle on a T-shirt that says _Soccer Queen_ with a crown over a soccer ball, black skinny jeans, and black Converse. I brush my hair and teeth and grab my backpack. I quickly eat breakfast and hop on the bus. But Jules isn't there. I get off the bus at my school and my phone starts ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hazel! I need you to come over! It's Jules! Please just skip Biology! I really need you right now!"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

I hang up and run to Jules's apartment. I open the door to her room and see her curled up in bed, her cheeks stained with tears. I sit next to her and brush back her hair.

"What's wrong Jules?" I ask.

"Hazel, I'm pregnant." She whispers.

"What? Jules, I asked you if Davis and you had sex about two days ago! You told me you haven't!"

"Hazel, I didn't want you to think I was a slut. It happened at that party about three months ago. We were drunk and snuck away to a bedroom. It was at Jupiter's house so it wasn't an apartment. It wasn't even with Davis! It was with some guy I just met! I think he was a vampire. Hazel, what will I do? What happens when I start to show? Hazel, I'm already starting to show!" Jules wails.

"It's going to be okay Jules. Are you sure you're pregnant? Have you gone to the hospital yet?"

"I'm positive. I took a test. And I was hoping you would take me to the hospital."

"Just let me call school."

"Please hurry. And I really love your new style. Pink just wasn't your thing."

I smile and take out my phone. I dial the school's number and the lady at the front desk answers.

"Hello?"

"Hi! This is Hazel Fernandez and I might be late. Or I might not be able to make school today. I have to take my friend to the doctor because her parents are out of town. You must excuse Jules as well." I say.

"Oh, okay dear. Good bye now."

I hang up and drag Jules out of bed. She's right, she is starting to show. I just thought it was because she was trying to gain weight to show everyone that she wasn't anorexic. But she was really pregnant. And the baby's father isn't even Davis. We take a taxi to the hospital and wait for the doctor to see us.

"It'll be okay Jules. I'll be here for you." I tell her.

"No you won't. You're moving away in a month! Davis will dump me, I'll be expelled from school, and my parents will kick me out! I'm going to get this baby aborted!"

"Sh! Don't speak like that! If I move away, I'll take you with me. I will be here for you. I promise." I say firmly.

Then the doctor comes and tells me to wait here. When Jules comes out she looks like she's about to cry.

"He said if I really wanted to, we could get the baby aborted. I want my old life back but I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I killed a baby."

"Jules, you need to tell Davis and your parents. And if Davis really loves you, he'll understand."

"Okay. Now go back to school. I need to tell my parents. Bye Hazel."

I pat her back and grab my school bag. I take the subway to right across the street from school and check in. At lunch I sit with Davis. He seems really worried about Jules.

"Have you seen her today?" He asks me.

"Yeah. I took her to see a doctor. She needs to tell you something. Davis, do you love her?"

"Of course I do. I've been with her for four years. I love her." He replies.

"I hope so." I mutter under my breath.

After school I go home in a daze. My best friend is pregnant. And the father isn't her boyfriend. Davis is really sweet. He deserves to be the father. After I get my homework done Jules calls me.

"Hazel! My parents kicked me out but I'm going to tell Davis everything! No matter what happens with him I'll come over there after!" Jules says.

"Okay. And Jules, Davis loves you. Understand if he's mad after you tell him." I reply.

"I know. And I will. I've got to go! I'm in front of his house now!"

Then she hangs up. Then another person calls me. I don't recognize the number. Probably Dad calling from wherever he's stationed.

"Hello?"

"Hi Hazel! It's your mom! I got custody of you! You're leaving tomorrow for Appaloosa Plains!"

"Mom, I can't leave Bridgeport tomorrow. My friend… she's pregnant. And I promised I'd be there for her. And her parents kicked her out! She's telling her boyfriend about it now and he'll probably cast her away too. I just can't leave her."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. But Amy and Jeremy can look after her or something. This isn't up for discussion."

"Mom! I'm not leaving tomorrow. I'm sorry."

I hang up and slide down to lean against my wall. When my phone rings I look at the caller ID. Jules.

"Hey! How did it go?"

"He isn't mad at me! A little sad that I did it with someone else but he's the daddy! Oh Hazel, everything is going to be okay!" Jules yells.

"So you won't be upset if I leave? Mom got custody of me."

"Of course not! Just please visit us!"

I laugh and hang up. I call Mom back and tell her I'll leave tomorrow. Then I trudge into the living room where Amy and Jeremy are waiting on the couch, tense. They look up at me with hopeful expressions. I shake my head and they rush towards me.

"Oh Hazel, I'll miss you so much!" Amy cries.

"Hazel, visit us will you?" Jeremy asks.

"Of course! I love you guys!" I wail.

That's how Dad finds us; wrapped up in each other's arms. Then tears fall down his cheeks.

"My sweet daughter. How did this happen?"

"Oh Dad! I'll miss you so, so, so much! What will I do without you three?" I sob.

We eat a somber dinner and Dad breaks some other bad news.

"We don't own this apartment anymore. Amy and Jeremy, you'll have to find somewhere else to live."

"Dad, where would we live? We don't have that much money! And we're trying to make a family here!" Amy protests.

"I think your mother has a guest house. I'm under the impression that Hazel's room is above the garage. You two will have the guest home. It has three bedrooms." Dad says.

"Appaloosa Plains? Dad! This is our home! _All _of our home! We can't just up and leave! We belong in Bridgeport! And I'm an adult."

"I know Amy, but you can't stay here. I can't support all three of us. At least your mother gave us child support. And your grandmother did it for Hazel. But she's siding with Shelly on this. I'm so sorry. How did we get in this mess?"

I get up from the table and gather all of the dishes. I wash them in the sink and say goodnight as if I wasn't about to leave in the morning. Then I call up two numbers I haven't in about two years.

"Who is this?" Jupiter asks.

"It's Hazel. And before you hang up I just want to say I'm leaving. My mom got custody."

"Well good riddance! Belissa, you should've sucked her dry when you had a chance! Jupiter out!" Jupiter snaps.

I hear him hang up and I sigh. But Belissa stay on.

"Hazel, are you really leaving or are you doing this for me to feel sorry for you and be made fun of again?" Belissa asks.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. For Appaloosa Plains. I realize what I did to you wasn't fair and I'm sorry. I've wanted to say that for over two years. Please forgive me! I don't want to leave on a sour note!"

"I forgive you. Jupiter is such a drama king. I'll miss you Hazel. Hey, if you ever come back here, give me a call. Maybe we can rule the eternal night together."

"I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye Belissa. We had some good times together." I reply.

Then I hang up. I sigh and crawl into bed. I'll see Adam again. But will he welcome me? I mean I never wrote to him. And I promised I would. He'll probably hate me. He probably won't even recognize me. I mean I'm hideous. Oh woe to divorce and custody battles. It never turns out well for the kid.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wake up Hazel! It's your first day of school! The bus will be here any minute now!"

I groan and get up from bed. I've tried to ignore my mom since I first got back here. It's just as I remembered it. Boring and no high rises. How is a person supposed to get any action around here? Go to rodeos? I don't think so! In Bridgeport you could always count on a good time. No dive bars here. No high end lounges here. They don't even have dance clubs! Appaloosa Plains sucks. But I walk to the bathroom and take a shower. Then I slip into black skinny jeans, my soccer queen shirt, and my signature Converse. Then I go back into the bathroom to brush my hair. I race to the guest house and grab a piece of toast from the plate.

"Hey Amy. How are you adjusting to Appaloosa Plains?" I tease.

"Don't mock me. I absolutely hate it here. When you leave this place, take us with you. I'm having city withdrawal. How am I supposed to make it big in a place like this? All I see are horse farms! Why did Mom drag me into this place? Jeremy might leave me. Do you think he will?"

"I doubt it. He absolutely loves you. Now I have to go. The bus will be here soon."

I kiss her cheek and run to the bus stop. Another teenager, a boy, is already waiting there. He looks at me as I skid to a halt.

"You new?" He asks.

"Yeah. Just got here. Mom got custody of me in divorce stuff. I'm Hazel." I reply.

"Adam. I've been here forever. Only moved once. Across town. Nice to meet you."

I smile and shake his hand. Then the bus comes and nobody else is on it.

"So this is the bus for our houses?" I ask.

"Yeah. Do you have one bus for all houses where you're from?"

"Are you kidding? I come from Bridgeport! It would take forever to get all of the kids into one bus. Only one other girl shared my bus."

"Bridgeport huh? That's cool. Is it nice there?"

"Sort of. Lot more exciting. I haven't been here in like eight years. Moved away with my dad."

"Would he happen to be in the military?" He asks.

"Yeah. How long does it take to get to school?"

"What? Oh. About an hour. How far was your school from your house?"

"House? I lived in a high rise building. But about five minutes. Does the bus always go this slow?"

"No. Say, what's your last name? Or your mom's name?"

**Adam POV**

"Kids! Bus is breaking down! You'll have to walk to school!" The bus driver calls from the front.

"What's wrong?" Hazel asks.

"No idea. The bus just up and broke. Do you think you can fix it?"

"I'll see what I can do. Where are your tools?"

Hazel fixing machines? This must be a different Hazel that moved to Bridgeport because of her father and her parents just got a divorce. Must be a coincidence. After half an hour Hazel climbs back in and nods to the driver. Then we're back on our way to the school. But Hazel sits in the very back away from me. She doesn't recognize me at all! Of course, we have lots of Adams in Appaloosa Plains. A couple even live by us. When we pull up in front of the school students are still milling around the front. I see my friends Josh and Chris and I run over to them. My girlfriend Rose is there with them. Hazel looks straight at me then runs into the building.

"Hey man, she's hot. In a cool sort of sporty punk chick way. Don't you think Josh?" Chris says.

"Nah. I'm more into the cheerleaders."

"What about you Adam? What are you into?" Rose asks pushing herself closer to me.

"You." I reply kissing her.

"You guys are disgusting. Well I'm gonna go show her around the school. Catch you guys later!"

Then Chris runs in the direction Hazel took. He's running after _my _Hazel. Wait. What am I thinking? I haven't seen her in forever. And I have a cute girlfriend who I care about! Chris catches up with me after Biology.

"Dude, she's hot! And funny! And totally smart. I think she's also into me. Do you think I could get her? She's really nice and I really like her, dude."

"Who? Hazel? She's way out of your league." I reply harshly.

"Wow. Some best friend you are. I'm just going to go to my first class. Uh… see you later I guess."

Chris walks away and I immediately feel bad. He's my best friend and I just put him down like that. I see Hazel talking to him by a locker and she's clutching her stomach laughing. And when she touches his arm I feel red hot anger sear through me. It turns to rage when he puts his hand on her waist to steady her. But I push it down and force myself to calm down. Chris is too goofy and says the wrong things around girls. She won't go for him. But apparently she likes guys like that because Chris is smiling like an idiot when he comes to sit with us at lunch. He holds out a piece of paper and a phone number is scrawled on it in neat handwriting.

"Hazel's number. That's right. I'm going to have a girlfriend! Guys, I really, really, _really_ like this girl. I've never felt this way before." He says.

Rose congratulates him and Josh pats his back. I force my rage down and nod. But I'm afraid it'll boil over when Chris beckons Hazel over to sit with us for lunch.

"Guys, this is Hazel! Hazel, this is Rose, Josh, and Adam. They're my best friends. Rose and Adam are together." Chris introduces.

"Hi! So you're the girl that Chris won't shut up about." Rose says kindly.

"Yeah. Hi, I'm Hazel Fernandez. I just moved back here from Bridgeport. Nice to meet you."

"Hazel Fernandez? Whoa. You're like a legend around here. Well your mom is. She makes the best food in town!" Josh says in awe.

"Oh. I thought you were going to bring up why I had to leave Appaloosa Plains." Hazel replies awkwardly.

"Nah, we wouldn't bring that up. That's rude to do." Chris assures her.

"Wait. Adam? Oh my god! How did I not recognize you?"

"Hey. Good to see you." I mutter.

"That's right! You guys were best friends! We used to have to beg Adam to hang out with us. And even then he'd bring you along. Man, all four of us had some good times!" Josh laughs.

I grab my lunch tray and get up. Everyone looks up at me with concerned expressions.

"You should have stayed in Bridgeport. You didn't keep your promise." I snap.

So that's not the reason why I'm pissed off. So what? It's more reasonable than 'I don't like how my best friend likes my former best friend when I have a cool girlfriend.' I dump my food and Josh catches up to me as I leave the cafeteria. He grabs my arm and makes me stop.

"Dude, that was not cool. That was stooping really low." He growls.

"What do you care? She promised she'd write me letters!"

"That's not why you're pissed. Yeah your best friend comes back and your other best friend has a crush on her. It sucks. But get over yourself! No need to take your anger out on Hazel! Look what you did to her." He snaps.

I turn around and see Hazel sobbing with Rose and Chris trying to comfort her. Chris turns around and glares in my direction. Now I feel guilty. Josh is right. And how am I supposed to 'woo' Hazel if I just snap at her like that? What is wrong with me?

* * *

_Some reunion huh? So I don't really know where this is going! But stay with me! Don't worry, we'll see Jules and Davis again (in case you were wondering). Stay with me please! :)_


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